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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
Curacao Candidates Tournament

Tigran Petrosian17.5/27(+8 -0 =19)[games]
Efim Geller17/27(+8 -1 =18)[games]
Paul Keres17/27(+9 -2 =16)[games]
Bobby Fischer14/27(+8 -7 =12)[games]
Viktor Korchnoi13.5/27(+7 -7 =13)[games]
Pal Benko12/27(+6 -9 =12)[games]
Mikhail Tal7/21(+3 -10 =8)[games]
Miroslav Filip7/27(+2 -15 =10)[games]
*

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
Curacao Candidates (1962)

Less than two months after the Stockholm Interzonal (1962) ended, eight players met in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, from 2 May - 26 June to determine the challenger to World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik. The top five finishers from the Interzonal - Robert James Fischer, Efim Geller, Tigran V Petrosian, Viktor Korchnoi, and Miroslav Filip - qualified for Curacao straightaway. Leonid Stein, Pal Benko, and Svetozar Gligoric tied for sixth, necessitating a playoff to determine which one of them would qualify for Curacao. Stein won the Stockholm Interzonal Playoff (1962), but was deemed ineligible because of a FIDE rule restricting the number of players from the same country who could qualify from the Interzonal to three. So Benko, who had finished second in the playoff, advanced to Curacao. The seventh and eighth places were filled by Paul Keres and Mikhail Tal, who had qualified by finishing first and second at the Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959). The eight players would compete in a quadruple round-robin, as in the previous FIDE cycle.

Korchnoi led after the first cycle with 5/7, but faltered thereafter, scoring six losses and only one win in the next 11 rounds. Fischer, who had won the Stockholm Interzonal by 2.5 points, got off to a terrible start, losing his first two games and scoring only 2/7 in the first cycle. Tal withdrew due to illness after the end of the third cycle.

Heading into the last cycle, Keres led with 14.5 points, followed closely by Petrosian and Geller at 14. In Round 23, Geller played an unsound sacrifice and lost to Fischer, Geller's first (and it turns out only) loss of the tournament. In the same round, Petrosian caught up with Keres by destroying Korchnoi in just 21 moves. In the penultimate 27th round, Benko shockingly beat Keres, who had won their previous seven games. This gave Petrosian a half-point lead over Keres heading into the final round. Petrosian surprisingly took a quick draw as White against Filip, the tail-ender. This gave Keres a chance to tie by beating Fischer. Although Keres had the advantage, he erred and allowed Fischer to escape with a draw. Benko was winning against Geller in a queen and pawn ending, but lost on time!

The upshot was that Petrosian eked out a tournament victory by just half a point over Keres and Geller, thereby advancing to the Botvinnik - Petrosian World Championship Match (1963). Keres and Geller played a match to determine which of them would automatically qualify for the next Candidates cycle. The Keres - Geller 2nd place Candidates Playoff (1962) was held at Moscow from 11th-25th August 1962. Keres won, scoring 2-1 with five draws.

Petrosian, Keres, and Geller drew all twelve of their games against each other; only one lasted over 22 moves. The median length of these games was 18 moves, the mean 19.1 moves. This led to widespread speculation that they had agreed in advance to draw their games against each other. Later in 1962, Sports Illustrated and the German magazine Der Spiegel published Fischer's article "The Russians Have Fixed World Chess." As a result, FIDE thereafter stopped having Candidates tournaments, switching to a series of knockout matches between the top-qualifying players.

1 Petrosian XXXX ==== ==== =1== ==11 ==1= 11=* =11= 17.5 =2 Keres ==== XXXX ==== 0=1= ==1= 1110 1=1* =11= 17 =2 Geller ==== ==== XXXX 11=0 ==1= ===1 =11* =11= 17 4 Fischer =0== 1=0= 00=1 XXXX 010= 01=1 =1=* 1=1= 14 5 Korchnoi ==00 ==0= ==0= 101= XXXX ===0 10=* 1111 13.5 6 Benko ==0= 0001 ===0 10=0 ===1 XXXX 10=* 011= 12 7 Tal 00=* 0=0* =00* =0=* 01=* 01=* XXXX 10=* 7 8 Filip =00= =00= =00= 0=0= 0000 100= 01=* XXXX 7

(1) Wikipedia article: Candidates Tournament.

Original collection: Game Collection: WCC Index (Curacao 1962), by User: Hesam7.

 page 1 of 5; games 1-25 of 105  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Benko vs Fischer 1-0401962Curacao CandidatesB07 Pirc
2. Korchnoi vs Geller ½-½381962Curacao CandidatesE60 King's Indian Defense
3. Keres vs Filip ½-½371962Curacao CandidatesB49 Sicilian, Taimanov Variation
4. Petrosian vs Tal 1-0641962Curacao CandidatesA12 English with b3
5. Geller vs Fischer 1-0401962Curacao CandidatesB92 Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation
6. Tal vs Keres 0-1401962Curacao CandidatesC96 Ruy Lopez, Closed
7. Korchnoi vs Petrosian ½-½361962Curacao CandidatesC97 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin
8. Filip vs Benko 1-0281962Curacao CandidatesE60 King's Indian Defense
9. Fischer vs Filip 1-0661962Curacao CandidatesC98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin
10. Petrosian vs Geller ½-½211962Curacao CandidatesE12 Queen's Indian
11. Keres vs Korchnoi  ½-½331962Curacao CandidatesD02 Queen's Pawn Game
12. Benko vs Tal 1-0411962Curacao CandidatesA00 Uncommon Opening
13. Tal vs Fischer ½-½581962Curacao CandidatesB92 Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation
14. Geller vs Filip ½-½131962Curacao CandidatesB42 Sicilian, Kan
15. Petrosian vs Keres ½-½171962Curacao CandidatesD18 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch
16. Korchnoi vs Benko  ½-½591962Curacao CandidatesB36 Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto
17. Fischer vs Korchnoi 0-1331962Curacao CandidatesB09 Pirc, Austrian Attack
18. Keres vs Geller ½-½271962Curacao CandidatesE61 King's Indian
19. Benko vs Petrosian ½-½671962Curacao CandidatesA00 Uncommon Opening
20. Filip vs Tal 0-1341962Curacao CandidatesA49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
21. Petrosian vs Fischer ½-½251962Curacao CandidatesE84 King's Indian, Samisch, Panno Main line
22. Geller vs Tal  ½-½271962Curacao CandidatesB48 Sicilian, Taimanov Variation
23. Keres vs Benko 1-0281962Curacao CandidatesB43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3
24. Korchnoi vs Filip 1-01011962Curacao CandidatesD52 Queen's Gambit Declined
25. Benko vs Geller ½-½751962Curacao CandidatesA00 Uncommon Opening
 page 1 of 5; games 1-25 of 105  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 6 OF 13 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Mar-21-17  althus: <Petrosianic> <It's clear enough. Three may qualify from the Interzonal.>

But Graeme, it doesn't say that. I am being all Winterian here, but darnit, there's a reason that guy exists.

<Sally Simpson> Aie! It sounds like you're a traitor on top of it all :) Isn't it past your bedtime?

Mar-22-17  Petrosianic: And yet more than three played. So we still don't have the full picture.
Mar-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: Hello Again,

Chess February 1962 (page 174)

Chess are reporting on the replayed European Zonal to see who goes to Stockholm.

The first Zonal was held in Holland but Holland refused to allow Uhlmann into the country because he was an East German and East Germany was not recognised as a state. (A bit like the Arab - Israeli situation today).

So Uhlmann was left out leading to other players boycotting the event: Filip (Czechoslovakia), Szabó (Hungary), Silwa (Poland), Bobostov (Bulgaria), Ghitescu (Romania)

The event was run without these players. Time passed, letters were sent, protest held, threats issued...the usual FIDE chaos

So the whole event was run again this time in Czechoslovakia. (nowdays called the Czech Republic) with all the original players.

Whilst reporting on all of this CHESS on page 174 of the February 1962 issue state:

"The first six from the Interzonal {Stockholm], together with Tal and Keres, compete in the Candidates Tournament at Curacao in May to decide who shall challenge Botvinnik for the World Championship next year."

The first six, no mention of a USSR limit.

And then from CHESS, page 206, March 1962. CHESS are doing a report on the play off from Stockholm and they mention that only 3 players from the USSR can play at Curacao.

I have photo-copied that bit and added to the bottom of the same link: (but before going there read on.)

http://www.redhotpawn.com/chess-blo...

Interesting to note that when CHESS do their report on the Curacao Candidates they mention that many 'commentators' (not Fischer)

"...are raising the old cry of collusion."

The following month's report has the editor B.H.Wood saying the round by round games and final table:

"..tell a disturbing tale..."

Then comes more from B.H.Wood and this time he mentions:

"...under the rule that no more than five 'candidates' should be from one country.

He then mentions that the Soviets possibly did conspire to get their man through. Saying an 'outsider' will not win the title for 10-15 years. (he was right. it took 10 years.)

I have also photo-copied that bit added it to the above link.

----

One wonders if the Russians have fixed world chess seed was planted in Bobby's mind by others though the same magazine CHESS July 1962 reports on a Fischer interview given at round 12 where Fischer calls the Soviet players 'Cowards'.

"The real Soviet fighters like Smyslov, Spassky and Bronstein, aren't even here." says Fischer.

Mar-22-17  Nosnibor: <Petrosianic> Thanks for your comments but Keres won the right to play whereas Geller obtained his place by concession. The playoff decided this because Geller had the better SB score in the original event.
Mar-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: Given the discrepancy in the rule for Curacao 1962 Candidates' as written (maximum 3 from same country) versus actual (3 plus the seeded players), doesn't that suggest that in the Yugoslavia 1959 Candidates also, it could have been 4 plus the seeded players?

But the rule that <seeded players don't count toward the limit> seems to have been unwritten, so maybe we'll never know.

Mar-22-17  Petrosianic: <Nosnibor: <Thanks for your comments but Keres won the right to play whereas Geller obtained his place by concession.>

I'd disagree with the implication that the First Alternate hasn't "earned" his spot. Of course he has. But it's also true that Keres got into the 65 Candidates directly, while Geller got in because Botvinnik dropped out. My point was just that, in <hindsight>, the match decided nothing at all. If it had been known for sure that Botvinnik would play in 1965 but would not play in the 65 Candidates, this match would never have happened.

Mar-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Petrosianic....in <hindsight>, the (Keres-Geller playoff) match decided nothing at all. If it had been known for sure that Botvinnik would play in 1965 but would not play in the 65 Candidates, this match would never have happened.>

This is axiomatic; nor would Geller have needed to play the 1964 <Tournament of Seven>.

Mar-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: At the time nobody, not even Botvinnik, was sure if he would defend his title.

Salo Flohr writes at the time it was 50-50. Benko had beaten Keres in the Candidates but Keres accepted that as part of the game.

Benko losing to Geller they way he did he could not accept as it was possibly robbing Keres of his cherished dream, a World Chess Championship Final.

Flohr jokingly writes you could call the Geller - Keres match the 'Benko Match' but not within earshot of Keres who could bear to hear his name.

Flohr adds, fortunately after the match and through time Keres calmed down and you could without risk mention 'Benko' in his company.

As it was Botvinnik decided to defend his title but not play in the next candidates. So as Petrosianic says, in hindsight the match was not needed .

"Forethought we may have, undoubtedly, but not foresight."

Napoleon Bonaparte

May-28-17  Waysider: Fischer - only one drawn game in thirteen with the white pieces and that was not until the last game!
May-28-17  Nosnibor: It is amazing to think that apart from Keres Benko was the next oldest player in this tournament all other players have since passed on and he remains the sole survivor at 89 years of age.
May-28-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Benko is also the oldest surviving GM I got to play in my chequered career.
May-30-17  Howard: As far as I know, there's only living grandmaster older than Benko---Averbach.

The recently-deceased Bisguier was a year younger than Benko.

Jul-07-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Stonehenge: <There was a Russian pact>

Korchnoi: It's called a plot, use please the right word :)

14:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUS...

Jul-07-18  sudoplatov: I didn't find this mentioned, but I read somewhere (I think back in 62 or 63) that Fischer was the only player that visited Tal while the latter was in the hospital.
Jul-07-18  WorstPlayerEver: <sudoplatov>

That's how the story goes. However, I'm not sure about it. There's a -famous- pic of T and F in the hospital (1962). In relation, many sources state Fischer as 'only visitor'. I'd like to know the main source, though.

Looking for pictures I found an interesting one of T and F (at the bottom of the page):

http://www.tabladeflandes.com/zenon...

Jul-07-18  WorstPlayerEver: PS

Here's the story:

http://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/20...

Jul-07-18  ughaibu: As I recall it, Tal said that it required the combined persuasion of all the Soviets to keep him in hospital. In other words, they all visited him.

Isn't about time to stop regurgitating cold-war propaganda?

Jul-07-18  ughaibu: WorstPlayerEver: your article says this: "Fischer accused three of Soviet participants of colluding to draw each other and fight him to the death. While his comments were taken to be conspiratorial, they were later admitted by Soviet authorities to be true", this is plain false, and has been done to death on the pages of his games with Petrosian.
Jul-07-18  WorstPlayerEver: <ughaibu>

I was referring to what is written under the pic as example. I also question if Tal was visited by Fischer only.

Jul-08-18  EdZelli: Bobby's Rambling Nonsense was a ploy to shift the blame for his 7 LOSSES. Bobby was the punching bag in Curacao. He got crushed by Tigran, Benko, Geller ... and still cried foul.

Eight years later in 1970 Bobby CHEATED his way to the candidates tournament (ie. never qualified, Benko pay-off under the table). Did Bobby ever complain about a a cheating pact by the 5 American players who were qualified to join the 1970 tournament ahead of him when Bonko all of sudden lost interest in world championship. Not a word from Bobby about that as long as end justified the means.

Jul-08-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  AylerKupp: <<sudoplatov> I didn't find this mentioned, but I read somewhere (I think back in 62 or 63) that Fischer was the only player that visited Tal while the latter was in the hospital.>

That has been reported many times, and has been extensively discussed in other pages. <edbermac> posted a link to various pictures of Tal in the hospital with Fischer (Robert James Fischer (kibitz #48434)), and the last link (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HDMO_yu5l...) one of the pictures shows a third person in the room smoking which to me looks like Pal Benko. I tried to enlarge the picture to see if I could make a definite identification but the resolution of the picture was too low for it to be conclusive. And Benko himself said that he never visited Tal in the hospital.

Some further discussion by me here: Fischer - Spassky World Championship Match (1972) (kibitz #300).

Jul-08-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  AylerKupp: <<EdZelli> Eight years later in 1970 Bobby CHEATED his way to the candidates tournament (ie. never qualified, Benko pay-off under the table). >

The fact that not only Benko but also all the players that came in 4th – 11th place also had to give up their places to make room for Fischer to participate in the 1970 Palma de Majorca Interzonal has been extensively discussed in the Fischer page. But, in fairness, I don't think that Fischer had anything to do with that. My personal opinion is that it was Ed Edmonson, the USCF president at the time and a strong Fischer supporter, who came up with the idea, but I have no evidence to support that. And Fischer's participation in the 1970 Interzonal could not have been possible without the consent of Max Euwe, the FIDE president at the time, who bent the rules "slightly" to allow Fischer to participate.

Jul-08-18  Howard: To say that Fischer "cheated" his way to the 1970 interzonal, is a blatant exaggeration if you ask me. Granted, it may have been questionable whether he should have been allowed in, but it was all done legally.

The only questionable factor is whether Benko (who, incidentally, turns 90 in only about a week) gave up his spot out of the goodness of his heart, or whether he was financially "compensated".

Jul-08-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  harrylime: COMMIE CHEATS !

FIXING CHESS !

The ANTIDOTE to all this chess FIXING ??

One

ROBERT JAMES FISCHER....

Jul-08-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  harrylime: Some MEGA RJF Haters on this page !! lol lol

I thought I'd seen worse when I used to frequent pages like this on this site a few years back , but it seems Bobby's HATERS are more prevalent than ever ..

lol lol lol lol

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